By RAHN ADAMS
In case you noticed, I didn’t upload a column last week for the first time since the end of August, not because I didn’t want to write something but because my AMC Gremlin of a computer wouldn’t let me. Like so many other beaters, it veered off the Information Highway and crashed into a virtual brick wall last week, and I didn’t get it back on the road until yesterday.
Lest I forget, I want to thank the guys at PeopleCentric Computers on West Union Street, Morganton, for coming to the rescue again. Back in September they helped me bring this ancient Toshiba Satellite laptop back to life by adding some RAM, selling me a whiz-bang USB WiFi adapter, and helping me get the Microsoft Windows monkey off my back for good. It all cost only 40 bucks.
Yesterday, after fiddling with the broken-down laptop for a week, I finally decided that, yes, I needed to replace its hard drive. Sure enough, PeopleCentric Computers had the hard drive I needed for only $20. It took me only about 10 minutes to install the drive after getting back home. Then I installed the Linux Mint operating system – not the latest version, but new enough for me – and here I am.
Why didn’t I simply drive over to Best Buy or Walmart and buy a brand-spanking-new laptop with all the bells and whistles? Heck, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I’m a cheapskate and I like the idea of a free operating system and free software. Also, I don’t like living in a world where we use something for a year or two and then dispose of it. As you might guess, I also drive our vehicles into the ground.
The main reason I’m holding onto this Toshiba laptop is its keyboard. I can actually type a complete sentence on this keyboard without losing my religion. This one has space where I can rest my palms – yeah, I know, bad form – as well as raised keys that respond correctly when I press them. I’m not constantly tapping the Backspace key to fix errors. And I’m not cursing like a Tourette’s sufferer.
About 15 years ago, I wrote a song called “Information Highway Blues.” I’ve been practicing it for the past week while my laptop has been out of commission. Maybe I’ll sing that old tune at an upcoming singer/songwriter night at Brown Mountain Bottleworks in Morganton. And if my old audio equipment doesn’t take the laptop’s lead and go on the fritz, I may record the song for my YouTube channel.
I’ll keep you posted – that is, unless the Facebook app on my phone stops working.